Cyb Template 2012
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Seychelles KEY FACTS Joined Commonwealth: 1976 Population: 93,000 (2013) GDP p.c. growth: 2.3% p.a. 1990–2013 UN HDI 2014: World ranking 71 Official languages: Creole, English and French Time: GMT plus 4 hrs Currency: Seychelles rupee (SRs) Geography Area: 455 sq km Coastline: 491 km Capital: Victoria de mer palm, which is unique to the Population: 93,000 (2013); 88 per cent on The Republic of Seychelles lies in the western Seychelles and lives for up to 1,000 years. Of Mahé, seven per cent on Praslin, three per part of the Indian Ocean, north of about 200 plant species, 80 are indigenous, cent on La Digue and two per cent on the Madagascar and 1,593 km east of Mombasa, including the bois rouge, the giant bois de fer other islands, with 53 per cent living in urban Kenya. It is an isolated archipelago of and the capucin. Forest covers 88 per cent of areas; growth 1.3 per cent p.a. 1990–2013; outstanding natural beauty comprising about the land area and there was no significant birth rate 17 per 1,000 people; life 115 islands, the largest and most loss of forest cover during 1990–2012. expectancy 73 years. economically important of which is Mahé. Wildlife: Fruit bats, flying foxes, geckos and The population is of mixed African, French, Area: 455 sq km; maritime zone more than skinks are common, and there are more than Indian, Chinese and Arab descent. There are 1.3 million sq km. 3,000 species of insects. The giant tortoise small minorities of Europeans, Indians and Topography: There is a compact group of (which appears on the Seychelles coat of Chinese. 41 mountainous granite islands, including arms) survived near-extinction; there are now Language: The official languages are Creole, Mahé (the largest), Praslin and La Digue. All several thousand on Aldabra. There are many English and French. Seychellois Creole (Kreol three have high central granite ridges, the species of rare birds such as the bare-legged Seselwa) is French-based and very widely used. highest point being Morne Seychellois (905 scops owl, Seychelles kestrel, black parrot, Religion: Mainly Christians (Roman Catholics metres) on Mahé. The other islands are built magpie robin and paradise flycatcher. Four 76 per cent, Anglicans six per cent, and small of coral, and are scattered, low-lying and islands are bird sanctuaries, including Bird numbers of other Christians); Hindus two per sparsely populated. Island, which is inhabited by millions of fairy cent and Muslims one per cent (2010 terns. Six mammal species and nine bird Climate: Tropical. The south-east trade winds census). Belief in the supernatural and gris- species are thought to be endangered (2014). blow May–October. The north-west monsoon gris (the old magic of spirits) often coexists winds bring heavy squalls of rain. January is Main towns: Victoria (capital, pop. 21,700 in with Christian and other beliefs. Sorcery was the wettest month, July and August the 2010) and Anse Royale (4,168), both on Mahé. outlawed in 1958. driest. Temperature remains constant Transport: There are 510 km of roads, 97 Health: Public spending on health was four throughout the year, at 24–31°C, and per cent paved; only Mahé, Praslin and La per cent of GDP in 2012. A network of humidity at around 80 per cent. The country Digue have surfaced roads. Cruiseships and polyclinics provides general medical care, is outside the cyclone belt. cargo ships call at Mahé. dentistry and other services. There are also Environment: The most significant Seychelles International Airport is at Point private general practitioners. The public environmental issue is dependence on health service depends heavily on medical Larue, 10 km from Victoria. There are airstrips rainwater for supply of water. personnel from overseas. There is no malaria, on several outlying islands. yellow fever or bilharzia. Some 96 per cent of Vegetation: The granite islands support the population uses an improved drinking luxuriant tropical forest on the mountain water source and 97 per cent have access to slopes. The coral islands are also densely Society adequate sanitation facilities (2012). Infant covered with vegetation more characteristic KEY FACTS 2013 mortality was 12 per 1,000 live births in 2013 of sandy coral soils. Generally, the most Population per sq km: 204 (43 in 1978). common trees are the coconut palm and Life expectancy: 73 years casuarina. Others include banyans, screw Education: Public spending on education pines and tortoise trees and the giant coco Net primary enrolment: 94% (2011) was four per cent of GDP in 2011. There are THE COMMONWEALTH YEARBOOK 2015 Seychelles ten years of compulsory education starting at Saints’ Day (1 November), Immaculate GDP by sector (2013) the age of six. Primary school comprises six Conception (8 December) and Christmas Day. years and secondary five, with cycles of three Religious festivals whose dates vary from year and two years. Some 94 per cent of pupils Agriculture to year include Good Friday, Easter Monday complete primary school (2010). The school 3.5% and Corpus Christi. year starts in January. Teaching is in Creole, Industry French and English. 15.2% The Seychelles Polytechnic opened in January Economy Services 81.3% 1983 at Anse Royale on the island of Mahé. KEY FACTS 2013 It offers courses in business and the visual GNI: US$1.2bn arts to diploma level and has been providing GNI p.c.: US$12,530 trade deficit. GDP grew by 1.4 per cent p.a. first-year degree courses in conjunction with 1979–89. the University of Manchester, UK, since 2001. GDP growth: 4.1% p.a. 2009–13 Consequently, the government made efforts The Seychelles Institute of Technology was Inflation: 8.1% p.a. 2009–13 to diversify the economy, encouraging established in Providence, Mahé, in 2005–06, Despite having one of the highest per capita farming, fishing and manufacturing in the incorporating the technical studies incomes in Africa, Seychelles is vulnerable whole country including the outer islands. programmes of the polytechnic. Other economically, due to its small size, isolation, State-owned and parastatal enterprises important tertiary institutions include the limited natural resources and dependence on accounted in the mid-1990s for more than National Institute of Education, National tourism, which accounts for the bulk of Institute for Health and Social Studies, half of GDP and some privatisation of state foreign-exchange earnings. Though tourism Agricultural and Horticultural Training Centre, enterprises was under way during the 1990s. worldwide grew strongly during the 1990s, Maritime Training Centre and Seychelles By the late 1990s, there was good growth for and cheaper long-haul flights made Tourism Academy. The female–male ratio for several years, and canned tuna became the destinations such as Seychelles more gross enrolment in tertiary education is major export. accessible, the industry became increasingly 3.40:1 (2011). Literacy among people aged But the economy underwent a small overall competitive. Imports needed for tourism were 15–24 is 99 per cent (2010). decline during 2001–04, before growth in large part responsible for the country’s Media: The Rising Sun and Seychelles Nation strengthened to seven to ten per cent in (state-owned) are published daily. Weeklies 2005–07, as a result of increased foreign Real growth in GDP direct investment and tourism receipts. Then, include Le Nouveau Seychelles , The People % in 2008, in the teeth of the world economic (owned by the People’s Party) and Regar % 8 (Seychelles National Party). 7 downturn, the economy stalled and 6 Seychelles turned to the IMF for emergency The Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation 5 support. With a sharp fall in tourism income provides public radio and TV services in 4 and cuts in public expenditure, GDP shrank Creole, French and English. Multichannel 3 by 2.1 pger ce nt in 2 008 and by 1.1 per cent cable and satellite TV services are also 2 in 2009. How ever, in response to economic available. 1 reforms initia ted in late November 2008, in Some 95 per cent of households have TV sets 0 2010–11 the economy bounced back, with (2010). There are 216 personal computers -1 two years of strong growth, followed by per 1,000 people (2007). -2 good steady growth in 2012–15. 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 Communications: Country code 248; internet domain ‘.sc’. Payphones are available Inflation History in most districts on the inner islands. Internet Although visited by Phoenicians, Malays and % 35 connections are good in Seychelles. There are Arabs, and used in the 16th century CE by several internet cafes on Mahé, Praslin and La 30 the Portuguese as a stopover point, the Digue. The main post office is in Victoria. 25 Seychelles remained largely uninhabited until For every 1,000 people there are 234 20 the 17th century. Pirates and privateers set up landlines, 1,473 mobile phone subscriptions bases on the islands and in 1741 the 15 and 504 internet users (2013). Governor of Mauritius (then called Île de 10 France) sent Lazare Picault to explore them. Public holidays: New Year (two days), 5 The French claimed possession of the islands Labour Day (1 May), Liberation Day in 1756 and French settlers from Mauritius, (anniversary of the 1977 coup, 5 June), 0 with their African slaves, began to arrive from Constitution Day (18 June), Independence -5 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 1770. Day (29 June), Assumption (15 August), All British attempts to take possession in the late 18th century were confounded by the Seychelles on the international stage pacifying tactics of Governor Queau de The most prolific Seychellois writer was Antoine Abel (1934–2004), who was known for his Quinssy, who several times surrendered to novels, short stories, poems and plays.